A Ghost that Walks
by Mineral-Soul-Bottle
Summary: AU. He always introduces himself as Fujiwara no Sai. There are two common elements in every single of his sightings. One: He's an unbelievably strong player and, two: He never appears with the same face twice. Cue Akira's frustration.
1. 00 Fujiwara no Sai: Delinquent

A Ghost that Walks  
_  
31-8-10_

00. Fujiwara no Sai: Delinquent

Akira feels bored. That isn't a feeling he can be accused of indulging in too often, but right now he's very languid, almost uncharacteristically so. He's at the family go-salon, replaying a game he played with his father last week, one that has already been discussed. He is secretly very proud he's able to do this, to remember it hand for hand, because he wasn't able to do it just a few months ago.

He places the stones on the goban, one after the other, and thinks distractedly that the new teacher at school is really cool about homework, enabling him to have more free time. Free time to do whatever he wants: what that is he's not so sure. He's a busy, responsible sort of person so he's always doing something specific. Left to his own devices Akira doesn't quite know what to do with himself.

"Ah! Young master, hello." Muragawa-san calls as he enters the salon and after greeting Ichikawa-san.

"Maybe you could play a little shidougo with me later, if you're not busy?"

Akira smiles and agrees to play the man at a later date. He likes to think of catering to the customers as good practice for when he becomes a go-pro. Which he is certain he'll have no problem becoming.

Just as the words leave his mouth another man enters the salon. He's young, mean-faced, ridiculously tall, with drab brown hair and what Akira's classmates call a "hip style". He looks a bit lost as if he entered the salon by mistake. But when Ichikawa-san volunteers to help him, he turns around suddenly and focuses really intently on her, a comically desperate expression on his face.

"Please! Could you perhaps - please! Allow me to play with the strongest player in the house, if it's not too much trouble!" his tone wavers between desperate and shyly humble and his voice come out stilted, a bizarre combination that makes him seem disturbed.

"Er..." though Ichikawa-san looks like she's about to throw him out on creepiness-principles alone, her eyes turn to Akira automatically when the tall man says 'strongest player'. He turns to Akira so swiftly that the younger boy takes a step back. But it's not only that. The man's brown eyes are impossibly intense, shooting Akira like laser-beams. Akira gulps uneasily, but something in him that he generally spends great effort to squash recognizes the challenge and urges him to accept it.

He offers to play him, then suggests they go to the back where it's more quiet.

"I am grateful." the man says looking out of place with stilted sounding manners and mugger clothes in a well-lit, up-class Go salon. It is mind-boggling. He fidgets a bit as if he seriously can't wait.

Akira asks mostly out of habit if the man would like to have a handicap.

"That would be unnecessary." the man says. "My name is Fujiwara no Sai."

Akira introduces himself as well, bows, then takes one of the goke.

"Please to meet you too!" the man named Fujiwara exclaims, his voice still awkward, though expressive enough to make Akira curious of this man's enthusiasm.

They nigiri. Akira takes white.

About an hour later Akira is trying to figure out what in the name of all that is holy just happened. The game didn't turn out how Akira expected it -for one thing he lost and everything-, though he didn't really have any concrete expectations. For a few moments he just stares at it.

It's shidougo. Someone other than his father played shidougo with him and he hardly even noticed. He raises his eyes to Fujiwara. After witnessing the man's play, he looks, if possible, even weirder than before. The gentle Mona Lissa smile, glinting eyes and unbelievable skill are far too alien on such a mean looking face, obviously taught in the ways of scowling.

"You are strong Akira-kun." The voice in less stilted that before, but now Akira has more urgent concerns.

Akira asks tentatively if Fujiwara-san would perhaps like to play another game because he's too polite to resort to begging a complete stranger who could, despite apparently being a very strong Go player, still be a pedophile.

"It would be a pleas-." Fujiwara-san smiles wider, which looks painful, when suddenly a loud bang interrupts him.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!"

What looks like an elementary school student runs straight at them and violently pushes Fujiwara out his seat. The man crushes on the floor sideways with a surprised groan. Akira has been reduced to gaping.

"Come back here! Oh my god, I'm so sorry, he just dashed, _ god_, right in front of me and didn't stop when I called him! Boy, that's the rudest thing I've ever _seen_! You should apologize immediately!" Ichikawa-san barely stops to take a breath to start chastising the small boy. He is probably about Akira's age and he is gasping for breath. He is facing the woman but he is still scowling at air near the goban. Akira notices that half his hair is dyed an outrageous blond color.

"What' just happened?" Fujiwara asks, rubbing his head a scowl (that looks surprisingly natural compared to his previous expressions) set on his face.

"I'm very sorry, as I said, I couldn't stop him, that is -boy! Apologize!"

The boy scowls a bit more then turns to Fujiwara and bows stiffly. "I'm sorry for pushing you mister."

"Oh, you'll be sorry! You're lucky you're a kid. Otherwise, I'd beat the snot out of you!" Fujiwara, in a way that would suit him if he hadn't spent the afternoon with Akira being achingly polite, growls and waves his fist menacingly at the boy. The noy shrinks for a moment, flails his arms in the air silently and runs away. It all happens so fast, Akira doesn't have time to process it at all.

"What a brat!" Fujiwara sneers. He scowls around and seems a bit surprised by the location. "What the hell am I doing here? What is this place?"

Akira is once again left staring. He says in a confused tone that this is a go-salon. It sounds like a question. The man _has _just finished beating him in the game Akira has been playing since he was five years old.

"A what? Anyway, I'm leaving." Fujiwara says and hastily proceeds to the exit.

"Wait! Didn't you say you'd like to play again?" Akira yells after him.

"The hell? I said no such thing!" the man grunts without turning.

"Would you like to though?" this time Akira's a bit desperate.

"Get real, I don't even know how to play this weird-ass shit of a game!"

As the man leaved the salon and the customers grumble loudly insulted, Akira stands bewildered and unblinking.

_Huh?_

.o0o_.  
_

"_You know you're a total jerk, right?"_

"_I still can't believe it! You can see me?"_

"_Yes, yes, but like I said, you can't just go around possessing people like that!" the boy shouts at the ghost._

"_How can you see me? This has never happened to me before! I'm so excited!" the ghost ignores him and exclaims jumping in place, then runs to catch up. The boy walks fast._

"_Yeah, I can see that." the boy remarks sarcastically. "I can see ghosts generally. There's nothing special about you." he adds snidely. _

"_Wow! What is your name? I am Fujiwara no Sai!" _

"_Shindou Hikaru." the boy grumbles. _


	2. 01 Fujiwara no Sai: Goodytwoshoes

01. Fujiwara no Sai: Goody-two-shoes.

_7-9-10_

edit: _28 – 10 - 10_

Shindou Hikaru is a nice kid. He likes saying jokes and relaying funny stories though he can't really contain his chortles which tend to spoil the punchline. He eats with his mouth open, but he closes it if you whup him on the head once. He's never mean or cruel on purpose (except if he thinks it's deserved) and when he realizes he might be, he immediately regrets it. He never assumes things based on appearances something that surprises Kaga who's used to people being scared of the tiniest movement of his eyebrow.

Shindou Hikaru's also a bit weird. He regularly fails math and science tests but excels on social studies and literature and he was in the soccer team at elementary school. He is popular among his classmates but he doesn't seem to have any close friends except for that little brunette that follows him around. He is very smart at some things, like memory games or shogi, but he's unbelievably dense at other things. And though he likes to pretend that he isn't adventurous or mischievous or strange, Kaga has caught him more than once in weird places he wasn't suppose to be or talking to himself.

Shindou Hikaru is a total brat. He has the trying-to-be-blank-but-failing eyes of someone who's keeping a secret. You can tell when he's lying because he refuses to look at you when he talks either by lowering the head, tilting it to the side and gazing sideways, or just turning his back at you. When Kaga tries to delve deeper, Shindou is brat-ish enough to shout something incomprehensible and leave with no explanations. He has no manners and he definitely doesn't think before he talks. He's brash and loud and Kaga has to restrain himself from killing him on several occasions.

But otherwise Kaga just loves the kid.

The first time he sees him it's at the Haze school festival. Shindou is still a sixth-grader and he's standing by Tsutsui's go-booth looking vaguely interested in the proceedings with his hands in his pockets. Kaga comes by just as he hears Shindou (though he doesn't know -or care about- his name at the time) comment on go in general being deceptively simple. Kaga jumps in the opportunity to be an ass and shoves his cigarette on the board saying some smart-assery about shogi. Tsutsui squeaks indignantly and Shindou yells in surprise. In less time than you'd expect for chaos to ensue, it all boils down to this: Shindou claiming he has a friend who can totally beat Honinbo Shusaku, Kaga making a bet with him, and the Haze Go-club participating in the national go-tournament. Apparently.

0000

When Kaga arrives at the random, snobby, high-class school that the tournament takes place in Tsutsui and the squirt are already there. The squirt has brought along a Haze male student that could have been Tsutsui's more unfashionable twin: he has black hair jelled in the most tasteless way possible, big, thick glasses and a shamelessly excited expression plastered on his face.

"So... this is the guy that can beat Honinbo Shousaku..." Kaga drawls, declaring with every bit of his body language what complete bullshit he thinks the idea is.

"Yes! I, Fujiwara no Sai, attest to that" the boy exclaims not seeming to notice the distinct irony in Kaga's tone which surprises him. He has expected that Shindou had been bragging and that the poor go-player he brought along would be mediocre at most. Not that the excitable boy changes his opinion, mind you. He's just bemused that he's clueless enough to agree with Shindou.

Shindou watches the proceedings with interest, hands in pockets and seems to avoid looking at his alleged friend, who despite any notions Kaga has about him, is very confident and wins his first game. Even though he's first chair (that being the agreement of the bet) the win is against some unknown school whose go-club members thought that being smart-ass would elevate their game. So it's hardly a win at all. Kaga is positive Tsutsui could have beaten their first-chair.

That doesn't discourage Fujiwarano though. He gushes endlessly about the game, is moved to tears by the sight of 'so many young minds playing the esteemed ancient game of Go'(his words, not Kaga's), and tries, with minimum success, to get Shindou hooked with Go.

Kaga watches all these between their first and second game with bemused interest and piqued curiosity. Fujiwarano has something extremely awkward about him. From the way he clumsily makes noise with his every movement to how he talks; Long inexplicable pauses, stutters every now and then (especially when excited), wrong use of slang and jerky upward movements near the chin as if a fly is bothering him and he means to capture it. In a few words; weird.

But more interesting than that, Kaga finds the younger sixth grader. Shindou has something magnetic about him. His smile is wide and honest and his responses funny (though the joke is usually on him). When Fujiwarano explains Go to him he raises his eyebrows and nods. When he forms some beginner tsumego for Shindou to solve, Shindou's eyebrows furrow in concentration. He finds the answers rather easily for a person who has just heard the rules for the first time. Kaga's manipulative senses are tingling.

Now, you must not get him wrong. People think that Kaga is a bully because he does whatever he wants. And he is a bully to some extent. He has no compunctions over using other people's weaknesses and good manners to achieve his goal. And he has many goals, but one goal above all else.

The difference is, he knows how to bide his time. Kaga is a master strategist in all the ways that matter; both the board and life are his for the taking.

They win their second match as well and this time Kaga finishes first and has time to check out if Fujiwarano is the real deal. After a brief once-over of the board Kaga looks away a bit flustered. He is no fool and begins to prepare himself mentally for the pool diving. A man must have pride but he must also have honor, he preps himself up. At least Tsutsui will be happy, he thinks but slyly looks at Shindou next to him also looking at Fujiwarano's game. Shindou has a concentrated look on his face, his eyes move around the board erratically not following the hands. Kaga grins. His is going to win one way or another.

Haze ends up winning the tournament. Tsutsui is ecstatic and glowing. Fujiwarano is cheerfully pointing out his opponents mistakes and offers suggestions while they look ready to cry. Shindou smiles gleefully at Kaga mimicking a person diving, then suffering from something that looks like severe electrocution caused by embarrassment. The kid is hilarious. In a really annoying way.

But even as Kaga tricks his way out of the bet by making another bet (this time, a full-proof one) he is making plans. Plans of the King of Shogi variety.

0000

There is one thing Akira is more obsessed with than Go (and recently, Fujiwara no Sai who isn't in any of the phone books Akira has managed to procure); Perfection in his obligations and responsibilities.

One could say that Go is part of that. As the spawn of the most successful and talented professional go-player in all of Japan, Akira has a responsibility to his father, the Go community and his gene pool to play and be perfect at Go. Until very recently if Akira was to be perfectly honest as well as drunk and depressed he would agree that, though he loved Go, his love had been nurtured, it didn't come unbidden. But now Akira can be as honest and as drunk and depressed as he wants. Go has surpassed love in his mind. It has become pure, unadulterated obsession. And it all starts with the blasted guy who had the gal to enter his shop, play with him the most beautiful game Akira has the capacity to play and then disappear. Just. Like. That.

But of course Akira is responsible so despite his sudden wish to do _nothing_ but study Go and search through phone books(Fujiwara must be _somewhere!)_ he visits Kaio Middle School.

The building is large and imposing, a bit too posh and modern for Akira's outdated sensitivities. The Headmaster doesn't seem to pick up on Akira's disinterest and instead is intent on making the school sound even grander than it is. Akira tries as politely as he possibly can to decline the man's enthusiastic suggestions for him to visit (and become member of) the Kaio's "honorable, undefeated" Go Club.

He fails of course, which makes him wonder why subtlety isn't appreciated, or in fact respected anywhere in this country anymore. He glances around the room trying to _look _interested. The Go Club appears to be in the middle of some sort of end-of-tournament ceremony with an other school, if the different uniforms are anything to go by.

"I can't believe we lost!" Akira overhears a Kaio student mumble to the one standing next to him.

"And to some newcomers as well! How shameful!" the other student agrees grimacing.

Akira raises his eyebrows. He might not be interested in middle-school Go tournaments but even he knows that the Headmaster isn't bragging (too much) when he describes his school's Go-Club's prowess. Some random club beating them is surprising.

Hope does indeed spring eternal, because instead of simply dismissing the issue or being glad that the world of Go isn't as stale to the young generation as previously feared, Akira raises to the tips of his shoes to see the winners. Shocking happiness fills him. _Fujiwara no Sai, _the blackboard says, _first chair of Haze Middle School. _Akira has to shove a bunch of people he doesn't know before he is able to reach the front of the room where the winners are subjected to a long winded speech of some severe looking official. But though Akira looks wide-eyed at the Haze Go Club members he doesn't see _him._ Instead...

_What!_

The grade-schooler from before is sitting with the club hair is still dyed in that outrageous color, though he isn't scowling like the last time Akira's saw him. Instead he is talking quickly and discreetly to the first chair, who is_ not_ Fujiwara no Sai. It's a scrawny, nerdy looking boy with sleeked-back black hair and large framed glasses.

As the speech of the official ends with grouching, sporadic clapping, Akira steps forward to the fake Fujiwara and shakes him.

His tone is rather desperate, though he's too intent to notice, as he asks him who he is.

"Oh! Akira-kun, what a pleasure!" the nerdy boy says stuttering slightly. Then, before Akira's shocked eyes, he squeaks_ and _tries to clap his mouth with his had, missing and instead hitting his nose. "I mean, I'm such a fan of your honorable father, finally I meet you!" he says nervously, too quickly, rubbing his nose.

Akira is gaping. He can't move, he simply stares as the boy when suddenly the grade-schooler explodes into action. He grabs the nerdy boy's - _Fujiwarano's _other arm and practically tows him to the exit shouting all the way that they have to be somewhere else, really sorry, maybe next time!

Akira stays silent and unmoving for exactly 7 seconds. Then he yells at the them (though he can't see them anymore through the crowd) a weak and confused 'hey...'. Then he scratches his head. Then he rubs his eyes with one hand, sighing.

_What just happened?_ He asks himself praying for some sort of explanation that makes _sense._

0000

"_Why do you keep doing that?" the boy asks._

"_Doing what?" whines the ghost._

"_Getting me in trouble! How stupid can you be? Talking to that girly-guy like you've met him! What part of _low-profile _do you not get?" the boy shrieks indignantly._

"_I said I'm sorry! I usually don't have to worry about things like that!"_

"_Ts, you're the most troublesome ghost I've ever met." _

"_Hikaruuuu_~~~_!_"

0000

A/N. I'm going by the manga, so no gum-chewing Kaga here.

Thank you for all your reviews! This is my first fic so it really means the world to me. If you find any mistakes in continuity or grammar please tell me so I can fix it. Also, um, review. If you'd like to that is.

(I didn't know what a Goa'uld was... now that I do I can safely say that Sai isn't one. :) )

Next Chapter: Fujiwara no Sai: Random Bimbo


	3. 02 Fujiwara no Sai: Random Bimbo

02. Fujiwara no Sai: Random Bimbo

21-11-10

Fujiwara no Sai has seen many things, as is natural for someone with his unusual life-span. He has lived (in a manner of speaking) for nearly a millennium, and through sheer determination and tenacity, has played with the top players of Go history, has seen them grow from young amateurs to full blown geniuses. And Sai isn't ungrateful to whatever gods have granted him this amazing opportunity. In fact for the first centuries he was quite enthusiastic to be in such a position. Able to follow the path that will lead to the Hand of God, and then, maybe if he is worthy, be the one to play it perhaps. But now, as weird metallic statues that people live in rise up to meet the sky and other metallic carriages that people travel in run by(and occasionally through him) he feels that maybe he's slightly out of place.

Plus, it's a very lonely existence. Sai often speaks with other ghosts, such as himself, but the conversations don't seem to really go anywhere.

"That's 'cause you're too obsessive. Ghosts don't listen to what they're being told unless it concerns the thing they're obsessed about. Which is really annoying by the way."

"Yes, indeed. I can see what you mean. Like this excellent young lady I met the other day-couldn't stop talking about food and how she- I AM NOT OBSESSED! How can you say such a thing?"

The young boy rolls his eyes as he takes a sip of his soda, but he keeps walking, leaving Sai behind. This happens very often and it never stops annoying the ghost, who hurries after him.

"What would you call it, Long-Hair?"

"It's... Uh- actually, er... It's love." Sai says. He can see that Hikaru isn't impressed. Which frustrates him.

"Love." Hikaru says in a flat tone.

"Yes. It's like, I can't think of anything more worthwhile to do than play Go for the rest of my existence."

Hikaru looks at him from the corner of his eye. "Sound like obsession to me."

"Well," Sai starts feeling increasingly annoyed. "It can't be, I was like this even before I died."

"Which might be why you became a ghost in the first place, right?"

"I always thought that it was because I had been disgraced before I died... accused of cheating! If that could ever be possible." Sai fans himself a little and tries to forget that day. Hikaru makes a vague noise. Sai tries to see if it's interest, but it's difficult to say. One thing he's notices about this bizarre child is that whenever he talks to him in public he's always resolutely expressionless, a distinct difference compared to his exaggerated tirade when Sai came by his house. He decides that it doesn't really matter.

"You see, I was one of the two go-teachers of the emperor. I was very happy there, able to play all day... But I was two good, and the other go-teacher started to resent that." Sai takes an unnecessary breath. "He told the emperor that the court didn't need two teachers and that one of us should leave. He said it should be decided in a game. I was confident in my ability, I had beaten the other teacher and I had a good grasp on his playing methods, so I agreed. But while we were well in the middle of the game, I noticed that he had one of my stones in his goke. That's rare, but not unusual. He would just pass over the stone to me and we'd continue the game. But then, just as I was about to tell him, he took that very stone and put in his captured ones!" Sai pauses breathless for a moment. Even centuries after the fact the incident still upsets him. Hikaru is now staring though, his face intrigued.

"And then?" he asks quietly behind the soda can.

"I, uh, as I was about to shout that he cheated, he rose first and pointed at me to accuse _me_ of cheating. I was flabbergasted at the suggestion but everyone was furious at _me_! The emperor said that he did not believe that any of his go-teachers could be anything less that honorable and ordered us to continue the game. But it was in vain for I was too distracted now. I lost horribly. Not to mention branded a cheater and exiled from the palace. I couldn't live with what had happened anymore. I drowned myself in the river."

For a while Sai stays still with his eyes closed, pained. He hates this memory the most. Then he feels someone patting him on the arm. He opens his eyes and sees Hikaru looking at him awkwardly sympathetic. Sai sniffs. They stay like that for a bit. People look at Hikaru weirdly as they pass by.

Then Hikaru shakes Sai a little and points with nod across the street. "Well, what do you know Long-Hair. That one's perfect."

"Which one?" Sai asks feeling disoriented.

"The blonde one."

"She... She's a girl."

"I know. She's perfect for you."

Sai looks at the girl with the casual boldness of someone who's been invisible for centuries. She's blonde, her skin has an inexplicably orange tone and she's showing an awful lot of skin. Sai knows from experience that is a bad combination with the early spring weather. Too humid.

But Hikaru's right, she _does_ feel very comfortable even from across the street.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Hikaru?" Sai knows that the boy finds it very disgusting.

"Hey, it was our deal wasn't it? You help me with the bet and I help you with the possessing."

Sai and Hikaru both hide their smirks. Sai feels very bad pretending he's not utterly grateful to be have been able to play his favorite game with youngsters but in the end it became a mutually beneficial agreement. Sai played to his hearts content, then got Hikaru to find him the best host and take to a go-salon where he would not be detected but would be able to play at a high level. Hikaru on the other hand got to embarrass a senpai and then get Sai to find an appropriate person to possess instead of someone utterly obvious.

"So, see, she's waiting to get picked up, dressed up like that. She's been waiting for a while-"

"How can you tell?" Sai asks curious.

"She's sitting. Usually when girls are waiting for someone to pick them up, they are too nervous to sit, or too confident to think that they'll have to. But she's sitting. And she looks bored."

"Really?" Sai can't really distinguish expression through all the layers of paint.

"Yeah! Now go do your thing!

0000

Akira spends a month trying to convince himself it's a coincidence.

When that fails (he's read way to many mystery novels) he tries to convince himself that he's not a stalker, so he has no right looking for Fujiwara no Sai in the Haze School on-line archives. A week afterward it turns out that he needn't worry, there is no one named as such in Haze.

Which isn't exactly good news. Akira decides that he's already a stalker anyway and forges on. There is a Fujiwara no Sai registered for the Tournament, but it's like he sprung out of thin air. No school records or other sort of mentions. Only a dozen of "Did you mean..." notices about some highly esteemed family in the Heian period on Google.

There are two explanations. Either Fujiwara no Sai isn't a Haze student and decided to help the Haze go Club, or he entered with a fake name. Akira thinks it's probably the former, mostly because he can't fathom why someone would enter with a fake name, unless they were a criminal of some sort (and no sane criminal would risk that to enter some tournament, Akira theorizes, feeling very smart.), and because he's unwilling to believe someone just _happened_ to come up with the same name. They just might be related. (And then there is that niggling thought in the back of his head: _"He recognized me...") _

The only thing left to do is the head-on approach.

Akira arrives at Haze Middle School via his self-proclaimed number-one-fan, Ichikawa-san's car. It's a mediocre school compared to Kaio, but it looks friendlier. Of course that's hardly an accomplishment considering that in Kaio two thirds of the population's chins have never touched their necks.

Akira decides that the best strategy is to search for the go club. Unfortunately he quickly discovers that it is mightily optimistic of him to think the search for the elusive Fujiwara no Sai would be so straight forward. Because it turns out the school has no go club at all.

"Go club you said?" a boy's voice asks from behind him. Akira who had been in the process of asking for the nth time about anyone in this school playing go, turns around immediately.

"Yes, do you know of it?" Akira says eagerly. The boy is older than Akira, but seems non-threatening. He wears large glasses and looks very kind.

"Well, yes and no. I am the sole member of it, so it's not much of a club." the boy sighs defeated.

"What?" this Akira didn't expect. Actually he didn't expect any of this. It is really starting to frustrate him. "But you won in the Middle-School Go Tournament, did you not?"

"Yes, we did, didn't we? And I played third chair for the club of which I am the sole member." The boy smiles wistfully at Akira. "How can I help you?"

Akira looks at him wide eyed. He has to go back in track though, there is a very serious reason he's here: Obsession!

"Uh, your first chair, Fujiwarano- I mean Fujiwara Sai. Could you perhaps tell me where he is?" Akira asks, not entirely able to hide his anticipation.

The boy suddenly claps his hands. "I remember you! From Kaio, you were the boy that knew Tachibana-senpai!"

"Tachibana-senpai?" Akira asks thoroughly confused.

"Yes. That's who you mean, right? He used a different name in the tournament because he didn't want his parents to know he played go or something."

Akira pauses because this is exactly what he had ruled out. Someone coming up with the name. A bizarre coincidence. Akira frowns. He doesn't want to believe it. Maybe this Tachibana person know Fujiwara and wants to emulate him in a weird stalkery fashion.

"Why wouldn't he want his parents to know he plays go?" Akira asks.

"I don't really know. Before the tournament I only knew Tachibana-senpai because he had the highest score of all students in the school. An overachiever. I hadn't even seen his face." the boy laughs a bit awkwardly. "You probably should speak with Shindou-kun though. He's the one that knows him."

"Couldn't I speak to him in person?" Akira asks confused.

"Eh, he graduated this year. I don't know which High-School he goes to. So I can't really help you." the boy looks contrite.

This is a possibility that hadn't occurred to him at all. He had looked so scrawny. "Do you think this... Shindou-san will know?" Akira asks, ever hopeful.

"Why wouldn't he? They are friends from what I gathered."

"Do you know where I could find him?"

The boy frowns for the first time. "Yes. He's at the shogi clubroom."

Akira frowns as well. Apparently this Shindou fellow isn't a go enthusiast.

0000

The shogi club room is depressingly full of lively students compared to the one-man go club. The boy, whose name is Tsutsui Kimihiro, has come along, claiming that Akira needs the support he can offer. Seeing all these crazy people shouting and being way too loud -_how do they concentrate?- _Akira is glad for the company.

"Hm, where is he? Oh, I see him! Come on." Tsutsui-san exclaims going ahead to a row of desks facing the windows. A boy is sitting there reading with a constipated look on his face. His fringe is dyed a ridiculous shade of...hey.

Akira suddenly remembers this person. The annoying school-grader that shoved Fujiwara when Akira first played him. The same one that had been in the tournament as well, taking the second Fujiwara away when Akira tried to interrogate him. He is the only connection other than a name between the two sightings.

"Good afternoon, Shindou-kun. Is that the book I gave you? Does Kaga know?" Tsutsui-san asks oblivious to Akira's revelation.

"No, he doesn't, so keep it down, will you?" the boy grumbles as he turns. Then he notices Akira and his eyes momentarily widen comically in muted horror.

"Oh, this is Toya Akira. He's been looking for Tachibana-senpai and I thought that you'd be able to help." Tsutsui-san says. Shindou turns his bewildered stare to Tsutsui.

"Tachibana-senpai...?" Shindou says and gulps.

"What going on here?" a voice booms next to Akira's ear making him jump. An older boy with extremely messy hair is looking at him with contempt. He raises his hand and points at him. "You're Toya Akira!" he says a touch angrily though it's mostly surprise. "What are you doing in my club?"

Akira tries to pinpoint if he's met this person before or if he's just someone who's read about him at Weekly Go when Tsutsui-san rises to his defence.

"Kaga, can't you at least try to be polite! Just ignore him Toya-san, he has this weird possessiveness about everything in this club." Tsutsui-san grumbles the last part. "Toya-san just wanted to ask about Tachibana-senpai."

"Yeah? What about him?" the Kaga-person sneers at Akira.

"I was wondering if I could meet him, that's all." Akira says looking straight at Shindou. Shindou to his credit, doesn't try to look away. He just narrows his eyes.

"Tachibana, has moved to Sapporo." Kaga says surprising Akira. "He passed the entrance exam for Hokkaido International."

"The Hokkaido International, whoa, he must be really smart!" Tsutsui-san exclaims. "No wonder he is so good at go."

Akira is ready to rise to the defense of dedicated, hard-working go players everywhere when Kaga interjects.

"So, no. You can't talk to him, Toya Akira. Something else you'd like to bother us with?" the tall boy grumbles his arms crossed.

Akira braces himself. This is whole incident has led him to a dead end, but Akira now has another lead.

So as he apologizes and thanks Tsutsui-san for his help (ignoring in the process a bristling Kaga) Akira looks at Shindou from the corner of his eye.

_I'm going to get you._

0000

Ogata Seiji has something that most of his peers and antagonists don't have: youth.

Of course, at thirty-something, he isn't exactly spring chicken, but compared to other nine-dans(say, Kuwabara-sensei who is practically ancient), he is the youngest.

He is also very embarrassed with his whole generation. Only he and Kurata can even compare to the elites, and Kurata is still an eighth-dan. And it isn't just the professionals either. In go-salons everywhere you can find pensioners, but spotting someone under forty is a rarity. Playing Go in general has some very uncool connotations with the younger crowd, hence the decay of the game in Japan.

So when Ashiwara – fellow student of the Meijin- calls Seiji in the middle of lunch, screeching about a _ganguro_ of all people beating him in an even game, Seiji is disbelieving.

Later at the Toya household, while the Meijin is having a meeting with all his students, Ashiwara enters, proudly proclaims himself useless and dramatically reenacts the whole thing.

"...so she has beaten Fumio-san, right? And I'm like, hey, Fumio-san's tough for an amateur, what's your story. And her friend says, they learned at school and she's like, really enthusiastic. So we play and it's really tight, like really tight. I tried to go easy on her for the first twenty hands and then she got offended or something and she placed here, and I answered here..." Ashiwara places each hand on the board so that everyone can see what he means. "And then she gets really pissed off, which was kind of scary, these Shibuya girls aren't kidding, let me tell you. And then, she did _this_."

Ashiwara places the stone and the students suddenly make "_ahh_" and "_ohhh_" sounds, embarrassing themselves in Seiji's opinion. But when even Toya Meijin's widen, Seiji cranes his neck a bit to see the hand. He gapes, as discreetly as he can. There are at least five, very obvious good moves the girl could have chosen instead, but this hand is beyond that. It secured the whole corner, and they hadn't even entered middle-game yet.

Ashiwara completes the game on board, without stopping the ridiculous commentary even once, but Seiji doesn't interrupt him because he is right. This is an amazing game. Ashiwara has been squashed like a bug under the very thin twelve inch heel of a ganguro.

"Did you catch her name?" Toya Akira, the Meijin's son asks. Seiji turns surprised. He hadn't noticed the young prodigy's arrival.

"Yes, this is very interesting indeed. I would also want to play with this young woman. See the extent of her strength." Toya Koyo adds in his gravely voice.

"Um, yeah, her name's Fujiwara Sai." Ashiwara answers.

"Not Fujiwara _no_ Sai?" Akira asks again. Seiji raises an eyebrow. Did Akira know this person?

"That's the name she left at the reception. Why do you know her?"

"Not very well, no." Akira says avoiding Ashiwara's acquiring look. "Fujiwara... was she alone?"

"At the salon? No, she had a kid with her. I was under the impression she was trying to teach him how to play."

"He didn't happen to have bleached blonde hair, did he?"

"Actually, he did. Not his whole hair though. So you _do_ know her!" Ashiwara exclaims happily. "Do you know if we could meet her?"

Everyone is looking at Akira now, but he ignores them, instead looking stoically to the side.

"She's not a very consistent person." he says frustrated for some reason. Then he turns and leaves in a huff.

Ashiwara turns to Seiji.

"Was it something I said?"

0000

"_You know who Fujiwara no Sai is." the girly boy with the weird bowl-cut says._

"_What if I do?" Hikaru asks sulkily, kicking a few innocent peddles imagining it's the ghost. _

"_Who is he? What is he?" the boy takes a breath. "How is it that people... assume his name?" _

"_Why should I tell you? You know nothing!" Hikaru yells, aggravation lacing his every word though he mostly feels scared. He wants to run._

"_Hikaru, that's not very nice." the ghost frets worriedly from his side._

"_You can't keep this to yourself! Don't you understand? Something truly bizarre is going on!" Bowl-cut yells. _

_Hikaru sees red. His voice trembles. "Do I understand...?" _

0000

This was actually done in two weeks, but I don't have a real beta and I'm an obsessive editor. So If I told you that the next chapter is mostly done, I'd be misleading you.

Please tell me what you think.

Next Chapter: Fujiwara no Sai: Salary Man


	4. 03 Fujiwara no Sai: Salary Man

You know what I hate? People who don't update their stories and leave their readers hanging. Sometimes even for years! You know what else I really hate? Hypocrites. I mean seriously I just can't stand them. Can you?

03. Fujiwara no Sai: Salary Man.

_7-11-11_

"You know who Fujiwara no Sai is." Toya Akira accuses. Sai shrinks into himself, hiding uselessly behind his fan. This fear isn't something that he has any sort of experience with.

"What if I do?" Hikaru asks sulkily, kicking a few innocent peddles probably imagining it's Sai.

"Who is he? What is he? How is it that people... assume his name?" the other boy says breathlessly.

"Why should I tell you? You know nothing!" Hikaru shouts. His hands are clenching erratically at his side out of the other boy's view. He looks more desperate than the ghost has ever seen him.

"Hikaru, that's not very nice." the ghost says in a small voice.

"You can't keep this to yourself! _Don't you understand? _Something truly bizarre is going on!" the dark haired youth yells tensing his shoulders, ready to take this to the end apparently. Sai would admire the determination if he wasn't so worried. It's truly a bit alien: he hasn't felt responsible for someone like this for a really long while.

But he does now, and Hikaru looks ready to have a fit.

"Do I understand?" he practically snarls. "Fuck you! I understand fine! Don't come any closer, you..."

Hikaru gulps and seems to come to his senses if only barely. He crouches down his hands hiding his face and Sai can hear a constant murmur of "shitshitshitshit" coming from him. Toya Akira is staring in shock and confusion. Sai can't really imagine what this must look like to him.

And with both the boy and Sai speechless, Hikaru rises and runs. Just runs. For a moment Sai wonders if maybe he shouldn't follow him, then runs after him without looking back.

Hikaru doesn't notice him, or maybe just chooses to avert his eyes. The run seems to calm him, and by the time they arrive at the Shindou residence the boy has slowed down to a walk. He gets past the kitchen and ignores his mother just as effectively as she ignores him and climbs the stairs with a slump that is particularly apathetic. Sai follows subdued. Hikaru waits for Sai to pass before closing the door, a unnecessary gesture that makes him feel better nonetheless.

They stand awkwardly for a moment.

"I'm sorry." Sai says tearing up, but trying to hide it. He saw on that box with the pictures that men are not supposed to cry anymore. It's a weird millennium.

Hikaru sighs and slides down the floor, his back to the door. "It's alright. This was bound to happen. I shouldn't have interfered in the first place." His eyes are closed and he sighs again. He looks kind of dejected and Sai's conscience, easily guilt-tripped as it is, shouts at him for making a 12 year old so miserable, Go be damned.

"What are you talking about? Possessing people is wrong, I know that, you were right to stop me..." Sai's voice breaks so pathetically Hikaru raises his head and looks at him surprised as he sniffs in a totally undignified manner. He doesn't say anything back though, just lets Sai cry and sniff as unobtrusively as he can.

"You know, you're the second ghost I've met that can actually think about possessing someone." he says after a while.

That's kind of disorienting to Sai's state of mind. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"The first one was this guy that... well he possessed people to satisfy his obsession too." Hikaru pauses. "He liked feeling pain."

For a moment Sai's just speechless. "So he...?" he starts tentatively.

"He couldn't feel anything, so he used living people's bodies." Hikaru says frankly.

While wondering at the back of his mind about the sudden dark turn of the conversation he asks incredulously: "Is that what you thought I was doing? Harming people?"

"Well, kind of? I didn't stop to think." Hikaru says looking guiltily to the side.

"You didn't stop to think that I might be an obsessively masochistic psychopath?" Sai asks really worried and also kind of proud that he remembers to use that term in conversation.

"He wasn't a psychopath." Hikaru mutters, looking darkly out of the window, purposely missing the point. Sai looks at him googly-eyed, trying to resist glomping the boy. It was such a n inexplicably stupid thing to do, just recklessly run towards danger. Sai hasn't had reason to be protective of, well, anyone in a long time. He isn't sure how to react.

"So what happened?" Sai asks.

Hikaru picks on his multicolour hair, avoiding Sai's gaze. "I tried talking him out of it. After I freaked of course." He pauses and scowls at the wall in such a way that Sai knows simultaneously that it wasn't as simple as all that, and he probably shouldn't ask about it if he didn't want to be shouted at. "He kind of agreed with me. He wasn't a bad person, he just... well, he couldn't see past what he wanted. It didn't even occur to him that he was hurting innocent people until I pointed it out to him. Once it did... I tried to help you know? Find people for him that didn't mind that sort of thing, or told him to choose people who did bad things. He agreed and was excited and everything. We hanged out a lot after that." Hikaru's eyes glazed over, not really seeing the wall. He looks sad, Sai thinks worrying his lip.

"So he's still around here?" Sai asks.

Hikaru startles and turns to Sai. "Oh. Uh, no."

Sai frowns. "He avoids you?"

"No. I mean, I don't think." Hikaru grimaces. "He kind of, you know. Disappeared."

"He did what?"

Hikaru shrugs. "He vanished."

Sai frowns. "How do you know he didn't just leave?"

"I don't know how I know. Just like I don't know why I can see you." Hikaru shrugs again.

Sai just looks at him. Hikaru fumes.

"What do you want me to say? Did he pass on? Did he waste away? Did he get exorcised, or something? I can't tell!" Hikaru exclaims. "I just woke up one morning and knew I would never see him again." He crosses his arms and slumbs back on the floor.

Looking at his utterly brat-ish expression, Sai decides it's time for a change of topic.

"So how about that those kyu problems, huh?"

Hikaru rolls his eyes, but he's smiling. "Whatever makes you happy, right?"

0000

Kaga isn't by any means stupid: He recognizes a lost cause when he sees it.

But this isn't about stupidity. Kaga is acting upon his second most useful character quirk (the first one being domineering bossiness): paranoia.

Shindou Hikaru is indeed an asset to the club. He already knows how to play, and though he has hardly played at all till now, he still beats most of the first-years. With talent like that Kaga knows that by next year they could take the team tournaments by storm, but there's something very important missing.

Shindou doesn't like the game. It annoys Kaga to no end. And what's worse, Tsutsui, for lack of anything better to do, hangs around Kaga's club being an absolute nuisance and a seriously bad example to poor innocent Shindou. Kaga has caught them talking about go(that stupid game again, it is determined on haunting Kaga) on more than one occasion and no matter how much he yells, the bespectacled fiend is slowly but surely successfully stealing his minion.

But no matter what, Shindou is still _his_ minion.

Kaga squints as he spies Tsutsui, Shindou and Shindou's little fangirl sitting around a table through the front window of the go salon. It was a very unfortunate choice of location to conduct their little forbidden go meeting, it being on Kaga's way home. Those little idiots are about to face the wrath of the _King. _

As sneakily as he's able, which incidentally is a lot, Kaga enters the salon letting the cheery jingle play out the soundtrack to his beautiful anger.

Tsuitsui and Shindou are obviously playing a game while the girlie is watching. While they are toobusy arguing over some strategy or other, Kaga sidles up to them and crosses his arms. He manages to count to seven for one of them to notice him.

"Er, can we help you with something?" the girl asks, baffled. As she says this the other two idiots turn to him and both acquire similar expressions of terror.

"Yes. Yes, actually you can help me. You can help me understand what I am witnessing."

Tsutsui frowns in righteous indignation. "Hey, this is not club-hours. He can play whatever game he wants. It's none of your business!" Shindou is shaking his arms behind Tsutsui as if to say he's totally innocent, please don't skin him for Tsutsui's insolence.

Kaga would nod sagely at Shindou's thorough knowledge of the world's pecking order. He would if Shindou wasn't in a go salon, going his merry way about gaining territory across a goban.

He instead grabs Shindou by the lapels and opens his mouth wide, ready to spew abuse, when he happens to actually look at the board.

He closes his mouth. He frowns.

"Who's black?" he asks curiously.

Shindou fearfully raises his hand, still being choked by his collar. Kaga raises his eyebrows.

He can hardly tell the difference in skill. It's more obvious now that he knows who's playing what but still...

"Didn't you learn how to play go in February?" Kaga asks very slowly. Shindou nods. "It's April." Kaga says. Shindou nods again, this time more worried.

"Hello! How pleasant is it to see such youthful spirit in a go salon!" a voice says behind them.

Kaga lets go of Shindou and turn see a tall middle-aged man in a suit, smiling way too widely for comfort at him.

Kaga squints at him. "What are you a child-molester? What do you want?" Shindou chokes on air, because he's totally ridiculous like that. Tsutsui yells something about manners, but Kaga's default state is zoning that shit out, so he doesn't listen.

"Me? No! I am a successful temp at a well known office, as you can see very plainly here." the man takes a card out his pocket and almost shoves it at Kaga's face. "Oo-oops, I am very sorry!" he stutters awkwardly.

Kaga grabs the card. It reads "Uzumaki Tetsuo, Secretarial Temp". Kaga looks at the man without raising his head.

"Your name is Uzumaki Tetsuo." he says flatly.

The man seems to strain himself trying to force a nod, psychotic smile still in place.

Kaga mulls this over. He turns to the rest of them. Tsutsui seems pretty content letting Kaga deal with the crazy, the girl is looking curiously at Shindou and Shindou looks very, very red.

Kaga turns to the guy again. "And what do you want?"

"I was wondering if one of you would like to play a game? I've already played with those gentlemen." the man says stuttering and nearly knocks his head pointing at the three, maybe four, other people in the shop. They all look either disgruntled or disturbed.

Kaga raises an eyebrow and nods slowly. He looks at the game on the board behind him and sighs sadly in his mind. He's such a nice person deep down. Shindou really doesn't deserve him.

Suspicions in place and decisions made Kaga has never shrugged more magnanimously.

"Sure! Why not?"

0000

"_But that doesn't even sound like a real name!" Sai exclaims._

"_It doesn't have to, idiot. It just needs to be anything that wouldn't connect you to your real name, _or_ the person you'll possess." Hikaru says, as if it is plainly obvious._

"_Shouldn't we at least try to make it a little realistic." Sai asks annoyed. _

"_Two things." Hikaru says seriously and raises a finger. "It is flashy, so it distracts."And also..." He raises a second finger. "I frankly find it hilarious."_

A/N: In all seriousness though, I'm really, really sorry. I finally got into university, so things should pick a little. I hope. D:

Next chapter: Fujiwara no Sai: Red-Headed Brat


	5. 04 Fujiwara no Sai: RedHeaded Brat

_Thank you for your reviews! _

04 Fujiwara no Sai: Red-Headed Brat

_29 – 11 – 11 _

"What did Toya Akira want with Tachibana, Shindou?" Kaga asks leaning on the windowsill. From this perch he can look over his kingdom in the most lordy way possible. He can see a couple of first-years looking surreptitiously their way right now. He shows them his teeth and they quickly turn away whispering. That's right, breed the fear.

"How should I know? He's crazy." Shindou shrugs in a really fakey-nonchalant sort of way. "Hm." Kaga grunts noncommittally. The kid starts to squirm where he stands.

"You know, he cornered me after school about it. I'm telling you: Nuts." Shindou adds.

"Really?" Kaga says faux-skeptically. "That doesn't sound like him."

Shindou tenses. "You know him?"

"I didn't always play shogi you know." Kaga says. "My father used to push me to Go instead. He was a perfectionist. And I was really good. There was only one kid I couldn't beat."

"Toya Akira?" Shindou hazards a guess.

"Yes." Kaga growls. Then he sighs. "The more I lost to him the more my father pressured me. It was all very stigmatizing and stuff." Kaga turns to Shindou. "And though I still can not stop resenting him, Toya Akira was a despicably nice guy."

For a beat it seemed like Shindou would spill the whole story. It would be nice to know Kaga's paranoid suspicions are correct. But Shindou wouldn't be Shindou if he didn't close up right at the last second, even more stubborn to annoy Kaga than before.

"Well, people change. I don't know why he was after Tachibana-sempai." he says scowling at the air beside the window.

Kaga looks at him carefully and sighs. _Does he really think Tachibana had no friends? And that no one would think to ask them if Tachibana actually ever played Go?_ _Especially after how well he played in the tournament? _Kaga shakes his head. Well you can't demand excellence in all matters. The kid has a lot of potential for strategy, but secrecy appears to elude him. It really is a blessing he's usually so likeable.

Kaga sighs again and decides to let it go. For now.

"Well, kid, enough of that. I was thinking: I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse..."

0000

One of the first things young pupils of Go learn is the importance of strategy. Thinking ahead. Having a method as opposed to passively reacting to their opponents' moves. When you've been backed into a corner and feel like there's nothing left to do, you have to look again. You'll notice many hands you could choose from.

_Unless you play with Fujiwara no Sai apparently_, Akira thinks bitterly.

0000

"It could be a conspiracy."

"A conspiracy?"

"Yes. Or activists. Like, a group of people who want to give a message or something, so they share a name and sneak attack Go players till everyone knows it."

"What-"

"Yes. You should know that there was a Fujiwara family way back in the Heian period-"

"Yes, I know."

"-they were extremely powerful, and back then Go was taken seriously. So obviously someone is using it as a symbol to spread the name. Maybe the family still exists in some way. Hmpf. Probably responsible for the economic crush too. Damn them secret sects!""

"...What does the economic crisis have to do with all this?"

"Don't you see? Everything is connected! They are trying to throw ashes to our eyes, but you have to keep strong Akira-kun!"

"I'll... er, try to. And what about the boy? What is his role in this whole thing?"

"Meh, he could be their conspiracy-pimp, or whatever. Those people's minds don't work like yours and mine."

"..."

0000

"Obviously it's the little kid. He must be the one playing each time. I mean, you say that he's the only connection other than the name."

"Yes. But how could he be giving the directions for the first game if not any other game? I was right there, Fujiwara was alone with me till the boy came and shoved him."

"I don't know. Maybe they are using communication devices, hidden by hair or clothing."

"...but how could he have seen the board?"

"With a button camera! Don't you watch spy-movies? And maybe the device broke and the guy tried to play by himself, and did something stupid and the kid shoved him to stop him."

"Why wouldn't the boy play for himself? Why use all that... technology?"

"I dunno. If I had the money, I would use any excuse to do all that. It sounds hilarious!"

"I don't think you understand how impossible it is to be that good at Go at such a young age. Someone doesn't become that good out of a flight of fancy."

"Why do you have a better theory?"

"...No."

0000

"Huh. Well, it seems pretty obvious to me. It's an alien."

"A _what?_"

"An alien. They love playing with us. So this Fujiwara guy? Totally an alien."

"...How exactly do you figure?"

"They beam down on earth on some sort of human-shaped suit. They looks like a normal pedestrians, but seriously aren't. And these aliens are extremely smart and snobbish, so what do they do? The beat us at chess and enter competitions just to show how much better they are than us. Such utter bastards."

"And the name?"

"The name? Oh, yeah, the name. Well obviously that's the best way to screw with your mind isn't it? Or maybe they all really do have the same name. I mean they are aliens, we have no idea what their customs are."

"They are all named Fujiwara no Sai."

"Sure, why not?"

"Uh, I'm afraid to ask, but what about the little kid?"

"What about him?"

"What does he have to do with everything?"

"He must be an undercover agent of our Men in Black agency, trying to reign them in."

"...I see."

000

"It _must_ be a ghost."

"A ghost."

"Yeah! He had an unfulfilled business with Go when he died, so now he roams the world seeking players to defeat."

"So what does he do, possess people?"

"Well, yeah. How else would he be able to touch the stones?"

"And why doesn't he possess the boy? Why all these different people?"

"Maybe they are friends! And friends don't possess their friends, do they?"

"... You would know better than me. But how could the boy be friends with Fujiwara in the first place if he is... a ghost."

"Oh, gosh, I've been wanting to say this for ages!"

"What?"

"_He sees dead people." _

"What."

"You know. Like the movie!"

"Oh. And he follows the ghost around because...?"

"Eh, I don't know. Maybe he likes Go and the ghost is a historical Go figure. Or maybe the ghost is following him!"

"He isn't."

"Huh?"

"He isn't a historical Go figure. There is no one named Fujiwara no Sai in the whole of Go history, I've checked."

"Well, I don't know then."

"...You've been very helpful."

0000

"Really?"

"Yes. I don't know what made him do it, but well, it's the result that counts right?"

Tsutsui raises a hand to stop Shindou from continuing. "Let me just say-" he sniffs. "That in this moment I am so very happy."

Shindou laughs. "You're so dramatic, Tsutsui-kun."

Tsuitsui frowns at him. "Do you have any idea what sort of effort I put into getting you out of that den of snakes? It was a serious emotional investment, that."

"Yes, yes, I noticed." Shindou rolls his eyes. "If it was anyone else dragging me to mysterious board-game shops full of old people, I would revolt you know. You're lucky you look like such a nice guy."

Tsutsui splutters, but Shindou laughs some more. Tsuitsui sighs.

"So now that Kaga has decided to let you go, will you help me form the Go club?" he asks hopefully. It will all have been in vain otherwise. Shindou is a very agreeable sort of kid and he doesn't seem too enthusiastic about shogi. But truthfully, he doesn't seem that excited about Go either, even if he apparently read the books Tsutsui gave him.

Shindou shivers. "Of course. That was Kaga-sempai's condition you know."

"What?" Tsutsui exclaims.

"Yeah. That guy is seriously annoying. I don't know what I ever did to him that makes him want to control my life so bad. I would say he needs other hobbies but he has already beaten me in Mario Bros and let me tell you, that takes some serious skill and dedication." Shindou says very seriously.

Tsuitsui would make tentatively teasing comments if his mind hadn't been stuck on "finally a Go club!"

"But... we need three members to form a club. And for the tournaments especially we need three male players." Tsutsu reigns in his excitement. "Will Kaga play again? What do you reckon?"

Shindou grimaces in an exaggerated way making Tsutsui remember that he has just left elementary school. It usually was weirdly easy to forget. "Nah... Plus, I don't know about you, but I don't want to be in that guy's debt in any way. He already thinks I should give him my firstborn since he _let_ me escape his clutches."

Tsutsui nods along grimly. "Seems like we'll have to find a new member."

0000

"Are you sure you saw him go this way?" Hikaru asks dubiously for the fifth time.

"Yes!" Sai says exasperated. "I did exactly as you said. I went to his class and I heard the teacher call him, so I knew who he was. Then I followed him around all day. Just. As. You. _Said_!" Sai shouts throwing his hands in the air dramatically.

"Okay, okay, don't get mad, I believe you." Hikaru says trying to appease him without raising his voice. People might see he was talking by himself. He has earplugs on, so as to appear to be talking on the phone, though Sai doesn't really know how that would be. He will never get technology.

"Besides I don't understand why you need another member. Your lady-friend already joined the club did she not? You have three members."

Hikaru shakes his head. "We can have a club, but we still need three guys for the competitions. It's lucky Akari saw this guy answer the Tsumego on the poster. Otherwise we would have no clue who to look for."

"But, Hikaru! He cheats!" Sai flails around. It really annoys him that Hikaru doesn't get the gravity of this sort of behavior.

"Yeah, well, we'll talk to him about it and he'll stop." Hikaru shrugs absent-mindedly.

Sai stews for a while, but Hikaru's expression of utter carelessness discourages him from continuing.

After a while Sai relaxes. He looks at Hikaru thoughtfully.

"Hikaru may I ask you something?"

"Shoot." Hikaru says, exaggerating the pronunciation unnecessarily.

"Why are you doing all this?" Sai asks bluntly.

Hikaru turns to Sai surprised. "What?"

"I would be beyond pleased to see you getting interested in Go, but I'm not sure this is the case." Sai says slowly.

"Whoah, wait a minute." Hikaru says, eyes wide raising his hands. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean this, going out of your way for the Go club. You don't particularly care for the game, isn't this the truth?" Sai says though it pains his heart to admit anyone's unwillingness to give their heart and soul to the hand of God.

Hikaru still seems bewildered. "What brought this on?"

Sai avoids Hikaru's gaze. "I just wish to understand."

Hikaru stays silent for a while. "You've been hanging around me a lot these past few months."

That leap of logic makes no sense and baffles the ghost. Sai looks at Hikaru mystified. "Er, yes." he ventures, hoping for a more elaborate explanation.

Instead Hikaru nods as if this settles it. Sai is about to grab him by the lapels in frustration when the boy points out the shady sign ahead.

"That's the place, right?" he exclaims. "This looks pretty spooky, Long-Hair!" He appears to be egregiously excited about the fact.

Sai sighs. "Yes. That's the place."

They go down the stairs in silence. Sai has been to countless Go salons in recent years, but it's very rare for him to go to establishments such as this. It isn't a conscious choice, but nevertheless he's a creature of habit. Even in a world that has been devoid of beautiful palaces and elaborate gobans for quite some time, he still prefers that which is classier. He can't help it.

The room is just as he left it: badly lit, smoke-filled,hardly full. The inconspicuous shopkeeper is behind the register watching warily the only game in progress behind his newspaper. It seems the boy that Sai had been following all day, Yuki Mitani, is playing with a much older man. And judging from the way he holds the stones, he must be a mere beginner. Sai sidles up to the board. Yes, it seems to be that way.

Hikaru takes all this in stride. He even turns to Sai to give a cheeky grin. Sai doesn't resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"Will you be playing? The fee is 500 yen for children." the shopkeeper says.

"No, thanks. I think I'll just watch." Hikaru says. The shopkeeper shrugs and continues to pretend to read the paper.

"What is this? Another kid?" the older man yells. "Do you also want to bet 10.000 yen?"

"Wha-?" Hikaru asks disoriented.

"'Cause if you're as good as this kid then I'm screwed!" the man laughs obnoxiously loud.

"Actually I'm here for Mitani-kun-" Hikaru starts to say after a beat. The other boy turns to him with a look of utter disregard.

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" he asks flatly.

"So rude, the kids these days!" the man says placing a stone clumsily, chortling.

Hikaru scowls. He looks at the game in which the red-headed boy is obviously easily ahead. Sai grabs Hikaru's shoulder. Hikaru turns to him thunderously.

"I don't think it would be such a good idea to antagonize your future fellow club member?" Sai says quickly. Hikaru huffs but otherwise stays in his place, silently watching the game.

After a while the man starts singing out of key. Mitani snorts under his breath.

"Oh? What is this? Was that a laugh?" the man asks grinning stupidly. The red-head shrugs carelessly. Suddenly the man's expression turns into a leer. "Hasn't anyone told you not to laugh before the battle is over?"

The atmosphere around the goban intensifies in seconds. Mitani's eyes gaze upon the man grimly. "I've heard that before." he says, emphasizing his words with a stone near the left star.

The man smiles and grabs his smokes. With his left hand he takes out a smoke, puts it in his mouth and lights it. Sai narrows his eyes. Hm.

"You're left-handed?" Mitani asks, having the same thought as Sai.

"How astute. I guess I can give you a lesson on adult Go." the man says gruffly, all of the obfuscating stupidity gone from his face. "For a fee of 10.000 yen, huh?"

Mitani stares in apparent shock. Hikaru asks what's going on, but is ignored by everyone. The man gives Mitani a malicious grin.

"You think I can't come back after playing so poorly, don't you?" the man says as he plows his whole fist in the goke only to retrieve a single stone - and leave the rest to fall on the floor. Such a mess!-. He almost punches the stone into place on the board, making Mitani jump in surprise. "The real game starts now!"

Sai eyes cut through the board. Only a few hands afterwards it's clear as day that the man had truly been hiding his skill. For what purpose Sai could easily guess. He glances back at the proprietor. No pretense of reading about the stock market now. Sai nods to himself. This, though harsh, is a suitable punishment for the cheating boy. A stab at his pride will perhaps open the boy's eyes to the ugliness of his actions.

Sai turns to explain all this to Hikaru who has been watching the game silently after being ignored. Hikaru raises an eyebrow, unable to make a comment and seem to be talking to himself. Then his eyes cut to Sai's and motioned to the board with alarmed expression.

Sai quickly turned his attention to the game. Mitani was still as a stone, looking at the board.

The man sneered. "The game is changing in my favor!" Then he placed another stone and-

Sai gave a sharp exhale. The man was also- the man was supposed to be...giving the boy a lesson in humility, not this, this was-!

Before he had time to think or make a decision, Sai was tangible.

"Sai, no!" Sai heard Hikaru's voice from above. But this once it didn't matter. This was about honor.

"H-h-how dare you!" he shouted with difficulty (this body really wasn't compatible) at the man, who was still smiling widely, obviously thinking Mitani was about to bail.

"What is it, kid? When things go hard you give up, is that it?"

"You wanted to g-g-give this kid a lesson in humility." Sai says. He sees Hikaru gesture at his wildly behind the man (whose name is Dake, now Sai knows like he sometimes does), but Sai ignores him. "But how is he supposed to learn when your methods are even more cr-cr-cruel and terrible than his?"

Dake seems baffled now. "What?"

"Now it's my turn to give you a lesson in humility, and you better remember it." Sai says looking at the man with his most dangerous expression. For some reason, the man looks at him as if he think he looks retarded. Behind him, Hikaru's head drops on his palm.

0000

"_So p-p-please, in the future, please act politely and speak your mind to your customers, __without taking such an extreme initiative." Sai says to the proprietor sternly. _

_The man seems shell-shocked, though not as much as Dake, who appears to have fallen in some sort of inert coma. _

"_I...I'll think about it, Mitani-kun." the shopkeeper says tentatively. Sai nods and leaves stumbling. Hikaru walks beside him, silently. A moment after that it finally dawns to Sai._

"_Oh, my God! What did I do?" he grabs his cheeks in anguish, hitting his forehead instead. He steals a glance at Hikaru, then wishes he hadn't._

"_Well, that's one person that I'll never recruit to the Go club." Hikaru says with an extremely calm smile on his face. "Now do you recall where this guy lives by any chance?"_

A/N: I actually did a survey for this chapter. An those were their actual answers. R&R!

Next up: Fujiwara no Sai: Psychic Boy


	6. 05 Fujiwara no Sai: Psychic Boy

Thank you all for your reviews! I love you all, have I mentioned that? Also, sorry for the lateness. Uni _and_ street demonstrations! HOLA~

05 Fujiwara no Sai: Psychic Boy

_1 - 3 - 12_

Mitani Yuki has no imagination: That's right. No indulgence in fantasy, no secret dreams about wishing to be a wizard, no "did that animal just talk to me?", no talking about espers, no even looking for alien spaceships in the sky. No big dreams either: Not any sort of particular ambition, no hoping that things will be better than adequate.

He is generally a boy very conscious of reality and its shortcomings. Maybe he's older than his years and maybe that's why he's so cynical too. He has learned that in life there's only one rule: that of survival.

There is much knowledge and many skills one needs for surviving in the modern society, Mitani has learned. One is to always look out for number one. Another is to always stay calm, no matter the circumstances.

Circumstances that could be alarming and/or shocking, such as: finding yourself lying on your bed with a 10.000 yen note in your hand with no recollection of how you got there, and how long you've been there.

Mitani blinks slowly and thinks furiously. Unbidden the image of a game comes into focus in his mind. A game that if he's not sorely mistaken, he started in a very familiar setting...

And here's where the crux in this happenstance lies. Mitani Yuki might not have that active an imagination, but one can't say the same for his memory or the logical conclusions one could make of it.

0000

"What are your plans for this year, Akira?"

Akira doesn't look up from the game he's been replaying on the goban in front of him. It looks like the Hagiwara-sensei's most recent league match, Kōyō notices. His son has always been very studious but lately his rigorousness would put even Koyo's most ardent students to shame.

"What do you mean, Father?" Akira asks without raising his head.

Kōyō purses his lips just , but otherwise doesn't change his expression. Very little can stimulate his facial muscles.

"Will you enter the pro-exam this year, Akira?"

Akira pauses mid-movement and stiffens. Then he straightens up and focuses his piercing eyes, so much like Kōyō's own, to him.

"Father... I'm not sure I am ready." Akira says softly.

Kōyō decides to trust his instincts. "Is this about Fujiwara Sai?"

The boy pales -s_traight at the tengen_, Kōyō thinks-. He stares wide-eyed at his father. "How do you know that name, Father?" Akira asks tentatively.

"Ashiwara-kun mentioned her. A powerful opponent, he said. You seemed to know her."

The boy grimaces. Kōyō raises an eyebrow: He's rarely seen Akira this out of sorts.

"So you don't know her?"

"It's...uh, complicated."

Kōyō closes his eyes and sighs. He sits on the other side of the goban. Akira doesn't move to make the next hand.

"Akira, is Fujiwara Sai that important to you?"

Akira closes his eyes, resigned. "I don't care about the people around me right now. Father, it may sound arrogant, but my goal in Go has always been you. I've progressed towards that goal steadily until now. I thought all I had do was have you as my rival. I thought it would place me closer to the hand of god. But, I was wrong... I couldn't do anything against Fujiwara no Sai." Akira exhales sharply as if to steel himself. "He's different from you, or Ogata-san. His presence is a weight upon me. Right now, he's the only thing on my mind."

To be honest, this isn't a surprise. Kōyō has noticed his son's anxiety for a while now.

"Why don't you play her again?" he asks.

Akira sighs despondently and so uncharacteristically that Kōyō wonders if maybe they should have had this talk sooner.

"It's..." Akira flounders. He closes his eyes and straightens his shoulders. "I am actually not sure who or what Fujiwara no Sai is." he says and he sounds lost.

Kōyō feels Akira's pain at not being able to face his worthy opponent – a pain the Meijin is unfortunately familiar with, as immodest as it sounds-. He dismisses the rest of the nonsense though.

"I find it hard to believe that you'd have trouble finding your rival, Akira." Kōyō says, steel in voice. "No matter how powerful they seem right now, you must overcome your fear and face this. Face it like a man."

Akira looks kind of confused for a moment. Then his face fills with morose amusement. Before the Meijin has time to feel insulted though, his son bows respectfully.

"I shall take your advice to heart, father." he says, determination shining through his eyes.

Kōyō nods sagely. He knows his son will make him proud.

000

The room is very obviously a chemistry lab so the smell isn't entirely pleasant, and there's always the fear that they might accidentally break something. The goban is so old that if he was a less grateful person, Tsutsui would claim to hear the sound of rot growing, and the stones are so chipped it's a health hazard, but really all that matters is this: In the space of a few days they finally have a Go club. Oh, Tsutsui could cry.

"No, you can't do that." he says.

"What?" Shindou squints his eyes at the board. "Oh, yeah, damn."

"For making such rookie mistakes though, you're advancing really fast, Shindou-kun." Tsutsui says smiling. Shindou rolls his eyes and groans, like the little twerp he is. Tsutsui's smile turns rueful. "With you getting so much better, it is a pity Tachibana-sempai isn't around anymore. We'd be able to enter the tournament then."

Shindou looks kind of uncomfortable. It's probably the fact that they'll be entering yose in a bit, and if there's one thing Tsutsui's really good at, it's yose. He never makes mistakes.

"And we didn't find that kid that managed to solve our tsumego either." he adds absentmindedly. Shindou shrugs stiffly.

"There's always next year."

Tsutsui sighs as he places his next stone. "If anyone comes next year. You don't know if anyone will get interested."

"Stop being such a grump-face, Tsutsu-sempai." Shindou says scratching his eyebrow in thought. "You'll get premature wrinkles."

"Shindou Hikaru! Can't you try to be a little nicer?" a girl's voice sounds from the door. Tsutsui turns to see that it's Fujisaki-san scowling at Shindou. Tsutsui smiles and greets her. He really likes her. Besides the fact that without her they wouldn't be able to form a club, she has a soothing sort of presence and her squabbles with the usually unperturbed Shindou are rather amusing. She's a beginner at Go and she doesn't seem to have Shindou's aptitude for it, but she's very pleasant nonetheless. Also, she's pretty.

"It's none of your business how I talk." Shindou grumbles, nearly throwing the stone he has in his fingers. His grip has become much better, Tsutsui notes with pride. The day Shindou will be able to beat him is coming closer and Tsutsui can't wait.

Fujisaki snorts inelegantly as she only does near Shindou and draws a chair near, so she can watch. As Shindou pouts looking at the board, searching for a way to save his territory, Tsutsui decides he can afford to not pay attention at the game and maybe pay attention to the pretty girl.

"Fujisaki-san, I don't think I have thanked you yet for joining the Go-club." he says earnestly.

Fujisaki blushes and offers him a cute smile. "You're welcome Tsutsui-sempai."

"No, really. If it weren't for you, this club wouldn't be able to exist and I understand you weren't exactly a Go enthusiast before this."

"Well, this seemed to be very important to Hikaru, and I wasn't interested in joining any other club in particular so-"

"Oi! I'm trying to concentrate here!" Shindou interrupts. Fujisaki rolls her eyes at Hikaru and shares a knowing glance with Tsutsui, who feels his hopes shrivel up and die. Not only was Fujisaki disinterested in Go, but she was obviously very interested in Shindou if she would join a club just because it was important to him. Tsutsui sighs. Obviously the squabbling is unresolved sexual tension.

Just as Tsutsui's about to sulk about the unfairness of the fair sex, the lab's door bangs open. It's Kaga.

"Hey, Go losers! What up?" he says, not stepping through the door.

Thoughts of dying alone and unloved forgotten, Tsutsui shivers in fear at Kaga's unholy glee, apparent by his incisor-revealing grin.

"Boss?" Hikaru says confounded, though only slightly worried about their imminent demise. '_The King of Shogi giveth and the King of Shogi taketh away'_, Tsutsui thinks bleakly. Then he thinks,_ 'What the?' _as Kaga walks in dragging Toya Akira with him.

"What?" Shindou squeaks next to him. "What are you doing Kaga?" his tone full betrayed rage. Tsutsui gapes.

"Folks, I think you all know each other, but nevertheless, this is my close personal friend Toya Akira, son of the current Meijin! The Go Meijin, that is." Kaga says grandly, ignoring Hikaru. "Imagine my surprise at finding him at the gates of my kingdom, asking for one Shindou Hikaru." Kaga, grabbing him by the shoulder, manhandles Toya forwards.

Toya looks terrified.

"So tell him what you told me, Toya-_kun._" Kaga says still fiendishly delighted.

"What the hell is happening?" Tsutsui exclaims. Kaga throws one glare at him and Tsutsui reconsiders his stance. Obviously this is personal, what is he doing butting in. Should he offer Kaga a chair? Was everyone comfortable?

"Shindou, I want to play Fujiwara no Sai." Toya says, terror apparently forgotten.

Hikaru looks about ready to escape via defenestration. "What the hell makes you think that I can help you?"

"Yeah, we already told you, Tachibana-sempai is at Hokaido!" Tsutsui adds helpfully.

"Shut up, Tsutsui." Kaga barks from his corner. Tsutsui shuts up.

Toya raises his chin. "You have been there every time someone claiming to be Fujiwara no Sai played a game. You are the only one that knows what's going on." he takes a foreboding step torwards Shindou and his eyes darken dangerously. "_Tell _me."

Shindou has backed himself into the wall. He and and Toya are doing some really intense eye-battling and the taller boy is very obviously about to body check Shindou or something -though it would probably not hurt, the boy is like a twig- when Fujisaki steps forwards. Tsutsui had completely forgotten her, what is she doing?

"Tell him the truth, Hikaru!" she exclaims.

"What?" Hikaru squeaks again not looking away from Toya's determined glaring.

"If you won't, I will!" Fujisaki says and shoves Toya to face her. Toya looks unbalanced for a moment, but the hope in his eyes is unmistakeable.

"What? No, Akari, you can't!" Shindou yells.

"Please tell me!" Toya begs unashamed. Tsutsui eyes Kaga. The King of Shogi looks like one more heartfelt exclamation away from grabbing for pop-corn.

"I'll tell you!" Fujisaki says dramatically, despite Shindou trying to wrestle her. "Hikaru is Fujiwara no Sai."

For a moment both Shindou and Toya are still. Then Shindou straightens up and coughs.

Toya is wide-eyed. "Is this true?" he asks Shindou.

Shindou nods awkwardly. "Yeah. Uh, I am Fujiwara." he says. "No Sai." he adds belatedly.

"What?" Tsutsui squawks in shock.

"Shut up, Tsutsui-sempai." Fujisaki barks at him. Tsutsui shuts up.

Toya is squinting at Shindou. Shindou fidgets a bit.

"Why didn't you tell me when I asked you before?" he asks in disbelief.

Shindou scratches his head and scowls at the other boy. "Why should I? I don't know who you are-"

"And why make a nick-name and make other people play for you?" Toya continues raising his voice. He looks thunderous.

"'Cause I felt like it, what do you care!" Shindou yells throwing his arms in the air. Toya doesn't look intimidated in the slightest. Tsutsui wonders if anyone would notice if he decided to bail. Kaga is blocking his path to the door, and if his expression in anything to go by, an interruption of whatever this is, won't be welcome.

Toya yells back at Shindou. "And helping someone in a tournament: that's illegal!"

"So sue me! I don't care-"

"And when I first played Fujiwara you weren't even there!" this time Toya outright shouts.

Shindou opens his mouth, obviously about to shout back, but he stops, lost for words. He raises a finger as if to make a point, then looks at Fujisaki for help.

She crosses her arms. "He had a camera-button." she says very seriously.

Toya lets out a hysterical laugh. "You can't possibly expect me to believe you!"

Hikaru punches the Go board. Tsutsui who was sitting in front of it, startles.

"What are you doing! This board is already frail as it is-!"

"Shut up, Tsutsui!" Hikaru shouts at Tsutsui's face. Tsutsui is about to rebel against this sudden grunge everyone apparent has against him, when Kaga pulls Tsutsui's chair away from the boards and slides in an other.

"Yay. Go time." Kaga deadpans and pushes Toya on the chair. The boy looks bewildered, but once again determined. Shindou sits on the chair. Tsutsui gulps anxiously: this is all happening so fast. And he doesn't even know what it all means.

"And after this, I never want to see you again." Hikaru growls.

Toya narrows his eyes. "Deal."

They nigiri. Hikaru takes black. He scowls at the air expectantly. He even nods at it.

"Shindou-kun, you play first." Tsutsui reminds him. Fujisaki and Kaga both telepathically shout at him with their eyes. Tsutsui gulps again. They look like Yakuza bosses.

Suddenly Shindou springs into action. His hand dives into the goke completely inelegantly, almost dropping it. He looks Toya Akira in the eye, an alien eerie gleam in his gaze.

"I hope to not disappoint you, Akira-kun." Shindou smiles serenely.

For the first time in this whole debacle, Tsutsui understands and sympathizes with Toya's expression of crippling fear.

0000

"_I... have nothing." Toya Akira bows his head in defeat, his voice trembling. _

"_Thank you for the game." says calmly the ghost out of Hikaru's body._

"_Bring me the bucket." says Hikaru a beat afterwards. Akari, already prepared, all but shoves it in his face._

"_What wrong with him?" Toya Akira asks to the soundtrack of Hikaru's puking. That's apparently enough to get him out of his defeated zone-place._

"_What do you think, genius? He's obviously allergic to playing Go directly." Kaga says with a most affronted expression. Akari is impressed. "Now leave the premises before I spray you with something toxic." His lips widen enough to show some teeth. "This is a chemistry lab after all."  
_

0000

A/N: To those who asked about the survey, it went a bit like: "So you are the son of Bobby Fischer, and you are at your dad's chess place, when all of a sudden..." etc. My favourite answer was the aliens one. I'll never look at my mother the same way again.

Next up: Fujiwara no Sai: Ghost without a Host


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